Chapter Text
Six months, fourteen days, eleven hours.
Elizabeth didn’t have it down to the minute, but staring at her phone, it was hard to resist the temptation. Months flew by, and even now, she could hardly believe reality was being kind to her. Laughter and smiles filled her days where they were once desolate, leaving her atop a mountain of bodies with a crown she never desired. Ever since the higher ups assigned Justice to monitor Advent, she dreaded the day they were successful, at least, until they discovered Advent’s new place of work.
Hololive.
When she read their dossier for the first time, Elizabeth was befuddled; how could individuals— human she might add— employ the likes of an immortal phoenix and Death’s first apprentice? Not only that, their idols stood side by side with the likes of the Warden of Time and the Guardian of Civilization… singing. Was it some kind of ruse? Some kind of front to distract from illegal activities? Elizabeth thought it too good to be true. Cover Corp hired Advent of all people, they couldn’t have such a clean record, not entirely.
Yet, the day she went for an interview, Elizabeth remembered clearly how they took her into the office. No suspicious activity, no skirting around certain doors; they even let her peer into a few recording studios where the Hoshimachi Suisei was recording a duet with the Mori Calliope. To anyone else, it would have been a magical experience. Then, just a door down, Elizabeth saw one of her prime targets.
Nerissa Ravencroft.
The demon was right there, right there , no protection, none of her friends in sight to save her if Elizabeth decided to pull Thorn out right there and then. Yet, Elizabeth stood and watched her target sing her heart out with joy unshackled. It was like watching a flower finally blossom, petals unfurling to reveal the soft, vulnerable innards. Her voice was like honey, lyrics hitting Elizabeth like a tidal wave.
Sweetest Scarlet.
She had never left a room so fast.
Still, years ago, if she was told the only way to keep Nerissa— ahem, the Demon of Sound — out of that Cell, was to become an online idol, Elizabeth would have laughed in their face. It was something out of a child’s dream, and yet, in her office, scrolling through online platforms, she saw the evidence of her reality. Fans from around the world embraced her and Justice with open arms, embraced Advent with the same energy, drawing inspiration from them, adoring them for who they were and more. Simply reading messages from her Rosarians, a name she spent hours workshopping, was enough to settle her stress.
Speaking of which…
Elizabeth released a sigh. Of all the things to remain the same, it was paperwork. Always the paperwork. Putting her phone down— bless Gigi for teaching her how to use it when they first receive those— Elizabeth ran her hand through her scarlet terraces. Thankfully, it was just one stack today, no doubt some of Gigi and Cecilia’s revised reports from a few weeks ago. Just a brief skim, maybe a few edits, and those would be finished in less than an hour. She could afford finishing those last. As for the ones beneath those…
She frowned at the report title. A report she wrote herself, updating her superiors on the doings of one… Nerissa Ravencroft. Elizabeth resisted the urge to chuck it across the room. She spent hours editing the document, avoiding a few… unnecessary details the higher up’s didn’t need to know about, specifically the…
A furious blush warmed Elizabeth’s cheeks. No matter how many times they played it up in front of the fans, it was just… it was just fan service, nothing more. She didn’t like like Nerissa that way, that was preposterous! She was just monitoring Nerissa and nothing more!
It mattered not much she frequented the Bloodraven tag online, that was just—
“Liz!”
Bursting down her office door, Gigi barreled through with a smile too wide for her face. She was dressed casually, a loose shirt hanging over shorts, a game cartridge in her hands. “Liz! Liz! Look what came in! It’s finally here!”
Just then, Cecilia rushed in, slamming her hand onto Gigi’s head. “You promised we would tell her together! What happened to that agreement?!”
“Well, stop being so slow, Ceci, and maybe it coulda happened!”
“What?! Me?! Slow?! You take that back right now—”
“Make me! You won’t!”
As disruptive as their antics were, Elizabeth chuckled at their argument. “Girls—”
“We’re gonna play it together anyway! Why are you being so mean?!”
“Mean?! You’re the one who burst into Liz’s office—”
“She’s used to that by now! Besides, it’s the weekend! Who wants to do paperwork on the weekend?!”
At that moment, Raora peeked in, her pretty kitty’s ears perking up with budding amusement. “Well,” she drawled, hopping over to Gigi and Cecilia, “we won’t get through the game if we keep arguing, will we?”
Gigi pouted, “Fine, but Ceci’s the one who started it.”
The automaton let out an exaggerated gasp. “You can’t just blame me for everything, Gigi!”
“Says who?”
“Says me!”
I suppose paperwork will have to wait then. Standing from her desk, Elizabeth joined her girls near the front of the office. “What did you want to show me then?”
Gigi lit up and presented the cartridge. “Cover finally sent a copy of Holo Odyssey!”
“Oh? Did they?” She plucked the cartridge from Gigi’s hands.
The cover was all of them together, almost reminiscent of the art released for ENigmatic Recollection. This one was far more unique; each of them had a different outfit, fashion she was used to back when the rest of the world was still in the throes of monarchies and aristocracies. She found herself on the cover, a sinister look in her scarlet gaze, an ornate fan just barely hiding a smirk from the prospective player.
“Wonderful job with the art as always,” Elizabeth mused before looking down at an excited Gigi. Next to her, Cecilia was rocking on her heels, poorly hiding her own anticipation while Raora didn’t bother to hide it, tail swishing rapidly. These girls would be the death of her one day. She sighed, though the smile on her face betrayed her. “Alright, I’ll be in the living room soon.”
“Yippeeeeee! I’ll go get the TV ready!”
“No, that’s my job!” Cecilia argued, bolting after the Gremlin. “You get the snacks!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Don’t “nuh-uh” me!”
Raora watched them go with a giggle. “I don’t think Gigi realizes it will take us more than one day to play through the whole game.”
“Based on how many lines we recorded, I’d be inclined to agree,” Elizabeth replied as they left her office. “Let me go change into something more appropriate for the occasion, and I’ll be right there.”
“Ok, but if you’re not down in five minutes, I won’t stop Gigi from barging in,” Raora warned her coquettishly. She skipped away, leaving Elizabeth to her own devices. Her worry was endearing, but—
Elizabeth caught herself.
No, not like that. It was a good thing they worried, not a bad thing.
In her room, Elizabeth traded her work clothes for a casual dress. Gigi no doubt planned to have them binge the entire game until morning, so it was best to wear something comfy. Some of her own lines were a bit emotional, so a water bottle and pillow would be best to bring along as well. Taking that into consideration, Elizabeth scooped up a Bobby plush made by a fan and headed downstairs.
Walking through Justice headquarters, the walls were covered in memories, new and old. The Christmas party, ENReco, their trip to the Far East, their haunted house visit, the jetpacks, machine guns, and rockets inbetween; Elizabeth smiled at each picture, reliving the moment. There was a time these walls were bare, a time where she served as its only occupant.
Her grip on the Bobby plushie tightened. Not anymore.
This was a place of warmth now.
“Hah! See! I was the one to get it working!”
“Not fair! I had everything set up before you started butting in!”
“You did not!”
“Did too! Did too!”
“What are you, seven?!”
“Yeah! What are you, 16 million?!”
“I’m ancient, not old!”
“Old!”
Along with Raora’s laughter in the background, Elizabeth sighed. Justice, chaotic as ever, but they were her’s. Even when she stepped into the living room to see beanbags bunched up in front of the couch and a pile of snacks on the side tables, Gigi and Cecilia bickered in front of the large screen, the cursive title displayed in Hololive’s iconic blue. Raora was sprawled on the left side of the couch, one of her larger chattini plushies held in her arms. Her ears perked up the moment Elizabeth approached.
“Sorry Liz,” she giggled as if she wasn’t enabling Gigi and Cecilia. “We might have to delay the play through for an hour.”
Gigi immediately snapped towards them. “No! We couldn’t do that! We need to date the women! Especially when we’re the women!”
“Which is why I’ll be in charge of the controller,” Cecilia replied, snatching it from the front of the console. “Because you’ll spend ages staring at the CGs when we need to move on!”
“Hey!” Gigi protested. “I can’t help it when they show me that! Have you seen what they put on the back of the box?! Look!”
True to her word, the CGs on the back were… Well, Fauna’s was rather fruity, if Elizabeth was to be honest. Surrounded by fireflies, her eyes glowed eerily, not so dissimilar to her iteration of the musical counterpart, Faelyn. Next to her, Calli’s was rather majestic, midfight with an assassin it seemed. Lower down, Fuwawa and Mococo took up the screen, angry expressions cuter than they were furious. Gigi was their representative, her character taking a kneeling position before who she assumed was the player character. Each one was a testament to the artists’ skill; after the game was out for a few days, she would have to make a post thanking them. Elizabeth made a mental note. That was a task for later.
“Ah, they did so good,” Raora raved, taking the box from Gigi happily. “I also heard the landscape was so pretty!”
“Can’t wait to see it,” Cecilia said. “But, now that we’re ready, how are we doing this? Are we spinning a wheel or what?”
“I got it!” Gigi exclaimed. Yanking out her laptop, the Gremlin proudly presented her screen, the iconic blue, red, yellow, and green wheel spinning idly. “Can I spin it now? Please, please, please, please, please—”
“Agh, yes, just do it already!”
When it came to games, Gigi gave no quarter. There was a reason she could keep up with Bijou after all. Elizabeth gave Gigi a pat on the head as she sat down on the couch. “Good job, Gigi. You really did think of everything."
“Course I did! I mean, it’s our first game!” Gigi beamed up at her. “Raora, Raora, read the description!”
Cecilia groaned, “Do we have to? We literally read the scripts!”
“It’s fun! Come on, please!”
“Agh, why are you making me read it?” Raora groaned, but she obliged, turning the box over on its side. Clearing her throat, Raora mocked a serious narrator’s expression. “You’ve lived your entire life as a commoner, but the day you meet a stranger clad in green, your whole life is turned upside down! By day break, you become a member of the aristocracy, and soon, you will want for nothing. However, is this life as luxurious as it seems? Between the intrigue, the danger, the status, you come across strangers and friends alike, some more willing to help you than others. Starring the entire cast of Hololive English, come be a part of their story!”
Cecilia rolled her eyes. “Right, it’s one of these.”
“They must have changed a bit of the summary,” Elizabeth hummed. “I remember it being longer than that…”
Elizabeth knew of the genre of games from Gigi and a few of the other streams by her coworkers. Each choice typically had varied consequences, either leading to affection from the character a player was targeting, or a “bad end” if too many wrong options were selected. A rather black and white approach, but it was a way to engage players. Given this game was for their fans, Elizabeth could accept the decision.
“Thank the gods it wasn’t too long,” Cecilia sighed. “I’m pressing start!”
“What?! No, lemme have the controller!”
“Gigi, just spin the wheel!”
“No, that’s supposed to be Liz’s job!”
Raora smacked both of them on the head. “Girls, shush! The opening cutscene is playing!”
The title screen BGM faded out just in time for the first vocals of Odyssey , and Elizabeth had to hold herself back from singing to pay attention to the visuals. At first it seemed like the usual anime opening, albeit with Gigi pointing at every detail as if there was a hidden secret behind it. The moment their characters began to appear on screen, Elizabeth leaned forward. She had no idea what the others were like; even after she recorded the lines, the game spent a long time in post production that any impression she had was gone and dusted.
“Oh my god, Tam Gandr!”
“Namu?!”
“Oh, Liz, look it’s me!”
From Kiara and Kronii walking past each other and glaring, Fuwawa and Mococo fighting monsters in the woods, to Raora looking over some files with Bijou nearby, some of them were completely different. Then just as Cecilia opened a box of jewels, the camera panned, revealing Elizabeth’s game counterpart for the first time. She was exactly how she was described in what Elizabeth received the first time they got the project. Draped in silks and adorned in jewels, the noble lady projected a viscous, unforgiving front. Powerful, sinister; exactly like the lady she was meant to be.
“Wait,” Gigi spun towards Elizabeth, her mouth agape. “Liz you’re the villainess?! When did that happen?!”
Cecilia face palmed. “Did you forget your own lines?! You call her a wench several times!”
“I would never say that about Liz!”
“Gigi, you have the memory of a goldfish,” Raora muttered.
“It’s fine Gigi,” Elizabeth laughed, patting the gremlin on the head again. “You need not feel bad! I volunteered!”
“This sucks!” Gigi grumbled. “They better have you as a hidden capture target or something or Imma write a one-star review!”
“You really don’t have to, Gigi,” she told her, “but thank you.”
“Well now you have to spin the wheel!” Gigi insisted. Plopping the laptop in between Liz and Raora, Gigi gave Elizabeth her best puppy dog eyes. “Please, Liz!”
Gigi was never going to back down at this rate, so Elizabeth just sighed. “Alright, I’ll spin the wheel once we name our player character.”
“Yes!”
“Finally, the opening ended ages ago!” Cecilia complained, drawing their attention back to the screen.
「Is this a dream?」
“Oh! Whose voice is that?” Raora asked.
“Must be the player character or something,” Cecilia replied. “I didn’t know we were a girl though.”
“Hell yeah, I knew it was yuri!”
“None of the dialogue made that obvious!”
「Just a few hours ago I was no one… but now…」
「Are you alright there?」
“Fauna!” Gigi screamed. “I’d recognize that voice anywhere!”
The black screen gave way, the player character opening their eyes groggily to a carriage. Ornate and comfy, Elizabeth recognized the valuable satin immediately. Then, her eyes were drawn to the very first CG of the game. Fauna sat across from them, hair done up in a bun reminiscent of what she wore to Gigi’s murder birthday party. Sunset lighting peering through the blinds, the angle further emphasized the kindness in Fauna’s eyes.
「You must have been exhausted, moving all your things earlier. Apologies, I should have sent a few of my men to help you.」
「O-Oh no, I couldn’t possibly intrude! Besides, I’ve done this work plenty before!」
Fauna giggled.
「How very hands on of you, my lady. I’m sure you will have much to tell your father when you meet him.」
「 Right… I have a father now. 」
“Oh shit, we’re an orphan.”
“Cecilia!”
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Cecilia cleared her throat. “We were an orphan.”
「I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that title, Lady, uh… I’m sorry, I’m so bad with names. I really should remember since you’re the one who…」
「It’s quite alright, dearie. You can call me Fauna. Ceres Fauna. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Tsukumo.」
「O-Oh, please just call me by my first name! That sounds really weird.」
「And your name is?」
Just then, the prompt to name the player character appeared on screen, a stock name already provided: Tsukumo Sana.
“Sana?” Raora repeated. “Isn’t that the Speaker of Space?”
“That’s so cool!”
Elizabeth nodded along. Sana’s dossier was small, but her debut alongside the former members of Council was a spectacular endeavor. Cecilia, deciding to forgo the idea of renaming the player character, let the scene carry on until the carriage came to a stop. Before a modest manor, Sana and Fauna stepped out, the screen finally showing their sprites.
In comparison to Fauna’s elegant gown, Sana sported a cotton dress, a warm shawl tucked around her, bare bone belongings strapped to the back of the carriage. Elizabeth leaned down to Gigi. “Should I spin the wheel?”
“Yeah, yeah! Before we get any further!”
“I’ll keep the dialogue going, just spin!” Cecilia encouraged, Raora leaning on Elizabeth to see the laptop screen.
Elizabeth tapped the wheel and around it spun. Gigi was practically vibrating with excitement, Raora’s eyes glued to the screen. Her heart nearly stopped when the wheel began slowing, Nerissa’s name passing by several times, spinning, spinning, spinning… until it landed on a green space.
Amelia.
Elizabeth didn’t know whether or not to breathe a sigh of relief.
“My pearl!” Gigi cheered. “Hurry it up, Ceci! We need to romance my pearl!”
“Like they’re going to reference that here!”
“They totally could!”
Elizabeth placed the laptop aside and settled back. This was going to be a long night.
* * *
「It is so nice to finally meet you, Lady Tsukumo. I was overjoyed when I heard the news! I cannot wait to paint you and your father, united at last!」
「O-Oh, yes, me as well. Who are you?」
「Right, mi dispiace! I am Raora Panthera from the Panthera family! 」
Another unique CG filled the screen, displaying Raora in a rather dapper combination of a slim dress and collared top. Round tinted glasses slid down her nose, her bright cyan eyes peering up at Sana like a panther eyeing prey. Compared to the lighting in Fauna’s CG, Raora appeared far more minacious; the iron claws on her fingers did not suggest “artist” at all, and rather, something more sinister. It was an odd look on Raora, but Elizabeth admired the art regardless.
“Raora! Look, it’s you!”
Elizabeth chuckled. “Looking rather charming there, my pretty kitty.”
“I’m so happy with how it turned out!” Raora giggled and kicked her feet like an eager child. “I drew this pose when I read these lines, and I’m so glad they used the same pose! Ah, it’s so good!”
Cecilia giggled, “Why do you look like you’re going to devour her instead of paint her?”
Raora smirked. “No spoilers!”
* * *
「I see Lady Panthera has already been here. Shame she couldn’t wait for me to offer you new jewelry.」
The sprites faded, and once more Justice was treated to another CG. Standing at the base of the new Tsukumo portrait, Cecilia stood, her key a mere ornament in her hair. Glancing over her shoulder, the CG drawn at low angle, creating a shadow across Cecilia’s piercing gaze. Her ruffled top was complimented by a high waisted skirt, the outfit more familiar to them than the fancy dresses expected of the era. When she smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes.
For a moment, Elizabeth was reminded of the Cecilia that first arrived at Justice Headquarters. She greeted Elizabeth with a courtesy that day, a smile, and mirthful looking eyes. It was only a few days later that she learned everything was a mask to hide the bitter, dissatisfaction developed by a sentient automaton.
「Hm? O-Oh! Are you the merchant Papa spoke of?」
「Indeed I am! Apologies for startling you, Lady Tsukumo. I am Cecilia Immergreen, and I come with an assortment of jewelry for you to peruse!」
“Your outfit is so pretty Ceci,” Raora commented. “Ooh! Look, they added little segments in the dress! So cute!”
“We’re really all just showing up at her house, huh?” Cecilia commented as she let the dialogue continue.
“Barons aren’t very high on the totem pole, Ceci,” Gigi pointed out.
“Isn’t it still rude?”
“I don’t know, ask yourself that question!”
「My lady!」
Suddenly, another CG took over the screen. Gigi gasped, “Oh my god, guys! Look, I'm so cool!”
Bursting onto the scene much like how she’d burst into her office, Gigi was posed dynamically. The grin on Elizabeth’s face widened as they were met with an upstanding knight. Equipped with light armor and a tunic befitting her place as Cecilia’s knight, Gigi was in the middle of a wave, emotions on her sleeve like a well worn badge. Even in this game, there was nothing to stop Gigi from being a ray of sunshine to all who met her.
Cecilia snorted, “Nah, you look stupid.”
“Hey! I look majestic!”
「My lady, did you have to leave me by the carriage again?!」
「You’re too slow. Just be faster next time.」
「Slow?! I’m the Chaser for a reason, my lady! I am anything but slow!」
「And yet you’re too slow to realize you’ve been rude to the lady of the house.」
「Oh! My deepest, greatest, humblest apologies, Lady Tsukumo! My name is Gigi Murin! I hope Lady Immegreen didn’t bore you too much!」
「Bore?! I could have you hanged for that!」
「But you won’t!」
「Do… all knights act like you?」
「No, just her. Isn’t it a headache?」
“Hey!” Gigi protested. Jabbing a finger accusingly at the screen, she yelled, “Don’t slander her, Ceci! She’s doing her best, alright?!”
Elizabeth chuckled as Cecilia side-eyed the Gremlin. “Is she?”
“Yes, I read the script!”
“So did I, you dimwit!”
“Ahhhhh! Liz, Liz! Ceci’s hitting me!”
Laughing at their antics, the rest of Justice was finally all introduced. Raora glanced over to her. “Are you going to be introduced soon, Liz?”
“We’ll have to see,” Elizabeth replied vaguely. “Come on now, we’re barely through the game.”
Seemingly satisfied with the answer for now, their eyes returned to the screen. Her hands twitched. Quietly, Elizabeth took a swig of water. The excitement was almost too much to bare, but their reaction would be all worth it.
* * *
「Ohohohohoho! How very forward of you, Lady Tsukumo!」
All of Justice straightened. Just like the others, a CG appeared. Compared to the modest manor of House Tsukumo, the palace was a grand locale, only serving to make the subject a fierce opponent. Angular face framed by scarlet locks, slender arms encased in satin gloves, a furled dress patterned like the sky; compared to anyone else they had seen thus far, this person was drowning in riches. Her identifying flame burned bright, azure light drawing the eye of many. She smirked, not even bothering to hide it despite her open fan.
「O-Oh, sorry, I just wanted to say hi, and—」
「“Hi?” Has your father not taught you proper etiquette? No courtesy, not even a proper address! How desperate was Lord Tsukumo to pull a commoner off the streets?」
「Don’t talk about him like that!」
「You dare make demands of me? Do you know who I am, little Lady Tsukumo? How impudent are you, not to know of the Bloodflame’s.」
「Bloodflame’s…?」
「 Lady Bloodflame. You recently gained your status, did you not? How tragic would it be for you to lose it so soon?」
Gigi leaned back. She wore a prideful grin on her face. “Now that’s a villainess.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed the performance,” Elizabeth mused. It was rare, back in the day, where she could use her voice in such a manner. Now, amongst friends and even her workplace, it was practically a daily occurrence.
She wasn’t being suffocated by the pressure, not anymore.
「So this is where you’ve been hiding her away, oh lovely fiance of mine!」
The girls were drawn back to the screen. Raora nearly dropped her favorite coffee mug, Gigi’s popcorn slipped out from her hands, and Cecilia could only burst out, “FIANCE?!”
Elizabeth slapped her mouth shut, knowing exactly what was about to come. She knew the lines in her head, ran them over so they were etched in the pavement of her memories. Before the CG even faded onto the screen, Elizabeth manifested the image.
And, by the gods, did the artists deliver.
Where Elizabeth’s CG was drenched in danger, the lighting made the supposed “Demon of Sound” appear like a descending angel. Draped in blues as dark as the night sky, the accents of white made her stand out as if parting a sea. The low cut of her dress drew even more attention, supple skin exposed to the ballroom air, a temptress so holy she commanded all. Despite her ethereal smile, arrogance danced in her eyes, disdain not meant for the player directed past their shoulders.
Her eyes rose to Nerissa’s head. Erect on her head, her two onyx horns were symmetrical testaments to the power behind wine eyes. Even then, it was as if Elizabeth witnessed a descent, blessing her eyes with the image.
「Meeting Lady Tsukumo alone like this. Whatever will our friends believe, my little Lady Bloodflame?」
「... I could hardly say the same for you, Lady Ravencroft. Was that a different woman from last week?」
「Be not swayed by her words, Lady Tsukumo. I assure you, I am but the most chaste of ladies.」
「Nerissa—」
「Yes, Elizabeth? 」
「... Do what you will.」
“They hate each other!” Gigi howled as if she just witnessed the cruelest of murders. “Nooooo!”
“Gigi, stop overreacting.”
“Wait, what if this is like Gigi’s birthday party?” Raora piped up. “We all thought she and Nerissa were on bad terms, but then surprise! They were the masterminds all along!”
“Oh! Good point!”
“Well, Liz?” Cecilia pinned Elizabeth with a curious stare. “What happens during Nerissa’s route?”
She whistled, “I dunno, I kinda forgot—”
“How could you forget that?!”
An intense stare off ensured, neither Cecilia nor Elizabeth giving ground. Then, in familiar routine, one of them choked on a laugh. Giggles ran around the room, accompaniment of joy enveloping them all. Playfully, Cecilia wagged her finger at their leader. “Keep your secrets then. We’re going to find out anyway.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Oh, I’m sure. Can’t wait, Cecilia.”
Thus, the scene continued. Outrage from Gigi bouncing off Nerissa’s character like a wall. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, but Elizabeth ignored it. Later, she promised herself.
Later.
* * *
“What was that?!”
Despite the image of herself bleeding out on the screen, Elizabeth laughed at Gigi’s scandalized shout, Cecilia’s exasperation, and Raora’s agape mouth. “I can’t believe you let me die again, Ceci. Is there something you need to tell me?”
“Why is it so hard to keep you alive?!” Cecilia exclaimed, waving around the controller like a madwoman. “This is like the tenth time you’ve been killed, maimed, imprisoned, or left on the streets! What’s with this game?!”
Well, you’ve been picking all the options to kill me. Elizabeth wanted to point out. Just an hour ago, Cecilia immediately clicked on the option to have her maimed. Albeit, Raora immediately protested and Gigi tackled the automaton, but by the time she got the controller, Elizabeth was dead instead of knocked out.
“I volunteered to be the villainess, I thought you already predicted my death,” Elizabeth chuckled.
“Yeah, but not in every single route we played!” Gigi argued. She was stress eating, the massive bowl of popcorn in need of a refill. Again.
“Please, don’t die in the next route, Liz,” Raora pleaded. She was holding her chattini in a death grip now. “Hearing you make those sounds… Oh, I don’t even want to think about it again!”
Elizabeth chuckled, sipping at her drink, “Well, that all depends on Cecilia… and whatever the wheel says.”
Gigi glared accusingly at the wheel. “You better let us land on Nerissa.”
Immediately, Elizabeth gagged. She sputtered. She blushed. She almost lost her balance and fell off the couch. “Wh-What?!”
“I read the descriptions!” Gigi cheekily revealed, pulling out her phone. “You’re engaged to Nerissa! We just have to make sure you two get along enough! We gotta make sure we land on Nerissa next!”
Raora raised her hand. “Gigi, did you forget we’re playing as Sana, and not Liz?”
“Shit! You’re right!” She spun around and glared at the wheel again. “Land on Ceci so we can fix Nerissa and Liz’s relationship in game!”
“G-Gigi, I don’t even think that’s an option!” Elizabeth protested.
“Okay, new goal!”
Standing up, Gigi pointed at the screen, flecks of popcorn on her shirt, grem plushie in hand. “We’re gonna finish all the routes of the game and romance Liz!”
“Gigi, please—”
“Liz, shush,” Raora commanded. Reaching over, the pink panther took the laptop from her end of the couch. “You might be the villainess, but you’re our leader. What kind of subordinates would we be if you didn’t get a happy ending too?”
Scarlet eyes widened. Surrounded by the determination of all of Justice, Elizabeth erupted in a laughing fit. These girls…
They really were something else. Elizabeth settled against the couch, letting Raora cuddle against her, and refrained from commenting on how Cecilia and Gigi shifted their beanbags as close to the couch as possible. A small smile crept onto her face. So long as she had Justice, Elizabeth believed herself stronger than even the gods.
“Raora, Raora! Spin the wheel! We’re near the end of Calli’s route, I can feel it!”
“Okay, okay! I spin!”
“Who’d you get? I’m too invested right now—”
“Dio santos!”
“What?”
“I missed Cecilia!”
“Nooooooo!”
* * *
“Alright, fifteen minute break!” Cecilia declared.
“I get the bento!”
“You do not, get back here!”
“There’s enough in the fridge!” Her reminder fell on deaf ears as Cecilia once again took after Gigi, both disappearing into the halls for the headquarter’s kitchen. She shook her head. Those two were never going to change.
“I’m going to go make some coffee,” Raora said. Placing her chattini snug on the couch, she faced Elizabeth. “Do you want anything, Liz?”
Idly, she thumbed her phone in her pocket. “No, I’ll be fine, Raora. Just a water break is all.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back!”
And just like that, Elizabeth was left to her lonesome. Quiet, she slid her phone out, expecting to see a few notifications from her social media platforms, mayhaps a few from work. The latest notification, however, made Elizabeth shoot to her feet.
Nerissa.
Rushing onto the balcony, Elizabeth found herself some quiet privacy. Outside, she was greeted by the cool, night air, but no matter how beautiful the moment was, her attention was elsewhere. Scanning her phone again, she let out a dry chuckle at the message hanging over her head.
“Lizzzzzzzz! I would never hurt you, I’m sowwwwwwy!”
A laugh escaped her. If Gigi was reading over her shoulder, she would have cackled something along the lines of, “She’s obsessed with you!”
Here I was, thinking it was something urgent… Even so far apart, Elizabeth could hear the wet cat of a woman sobbing in exaggeration. Almost identical to the way she had during ENReco, in fact. Elizabeth hung her head. She could feel her cheeks burning; thankfully the rest of Justice couldn’t tease her about it. Then, as if to taunt her further, her phone lit up with another notification. “Oh, friggin—”
Her eyes widened, snorting involuntarily. Shiori was in control of the camera, grinning at the chaos. Bijou was in Nerissa’s lap, controller in hand, laughing at something on screen. No doubt the otome game as well. Fuwawa and Mococo, bless their little hearts, were hugging Nerissa in the center, the Demon of Sound trying to take the phone from Shiori before anything could happen. With a soft smile, she texted back.
“In distress, fair maiden?”
Immediately, Nerissa responded.
“Of course I am! I would never want you to die, you’re too beautiful!”
Fighting off a flutter in her heart, Elizabeth countered, “Is that the only reason you would protest my demise, oh Lady Ravencroft?”
“Of course not, my lovely Lady Bloodflame! I have a whole list, if you’re so inclined!”
Elizabeth furiously typed back. “Let’s not get too hasty here! You’ve already proven yourself an upstanding figure! You’ve no need to debase yourself to flatter me!”
Just as fast, Nerissa replied, “I would debase myself any day for you, my sweetest scarlet.”
Sweetest—
Unholy sounds escaped Elizabeth’s throat. If headquarters were on the ground, Elizabeth would have dug her own grave by now. Using that nickname… No, she was the Leader of Justice, she was not to be deterred! Besides, it was just teasing! Teasing between friends, nothing more! All a part of her job!
Then, just as Elizabeth prepared herself for another response, a second notification popped up for Nerissa, reading, “How are you and the girls enjoying the game so far?”
Her smile softened. “Just taking a quick break. Gotta be back in a jiffy. Gigi is very determined to finish all of the routes.”
“I don’t blame her,” Nerissa texted back. “We’re taking our time since Shiori wants to check every room with the investigation tool. Doesn’t help that we started with IRyS and then mine.”
Ah, right. Nerissa’s route. Those days in the studio were certainly…
A knock from inside cut off Elizabeth’s thoughts. Raora waved at her from behind the glass pane, a cup of coffee steaming in her hands. Behind her, Gigi and Cecilia seemed settled. Signalling Raora she would be right there, Elizabeth took a deep breath, hesitating. Should she…
She shook her head. That message could wait for another day.
“I hope you enjoy the rest of the game, Nerissa.”
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Elizabeth ignored it.
She would check it in the morning.
* * *
「Allow me to commemorate this day to my mother—」
What? What is…?
Eyes fluttering open, her surroundings were blurry. Sound seemed like a distant friend, muffled so only voices echoed in her head. Everything was so bright…Why was it bright? She turned the lights off before all of Justice fell asleep, did she not? Why was it…?
「I beseech you, everyone, please stand!」
Elizabeth’s gaze cleared. A celebration, banners matching her locks adorned with lilies, tables draped in white. Raised in a gloved hand— why was her arm so skinny— was a goblet of wine; it was going to be her last drink. Involuntarily, her lips pulled up into a grin.
Briefly, she glanced towards two individuals. One, a reflection of herself, an older woman. A satisfied smirk stretched her face. It seemed permanent, a resting mask. Next to her, a glare made her freeze. Her brother— that was her brother— his knuckles were deathly white from holding his cup, eyes filled with so much hate Elizabeth felt sick.
Looking at them, overwhelming anguish pooled in Elizabeth’s gut. What was happening? What was going on?
「A toast! To our esteemed Lady Bloodflame!」
Her blood ran cold. This was…
Was she in—
A crescendo of cheers rose from the celebration, the goblet emptied of its contents. For some reason, besides anguish, Elizabeth felt cold content. No, that wasn’t it. She recognized this feeling.
Resignation.
Suddenly, pain clawed up her throat. Her stomach twisted, howling, guts churning. One of her hands flew to her neck, another covering her mouth. She keeled over. Members of the crowd shot to their feet.
「What is happening to the young lady?!」
Lady?
Shakily, her hands pulled away from her mouth.
Blood.
「Someone help her!」
「The young lady has been poisoned!」
Poisoned…?
As quickly as she gained consciousness, Elizabeth was losing it. Black spots began to encroach on her vision. Why was this happening? Was this a dream? No, no she needed to stay alive, she couldn’t die here, the rest of Justice—
She collapsed, smiling into the marble floor. Hands grabbed for her own, strong arms turned her over, desperate eyes ran over just for her. Her chest was burning. It was searing, so unlike the warm azure emanating from her bosom. Her arms fell limp, unable to support themselves as her organs began to fail.
This event… When did this happen?
Darkness enveloped Elizabeth.
That day, Lady Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame died.
And just a week later, Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame, the Scarlet Queen, Harbinger of Order, Leader of Justice, awoke in her place.